Partner hopes to reunite treasured late-Victorian family Bible of Burnley and Pendle music teacher and conductor with relatives

Miss Emily Say, who lives in Gloucstershire, wants the Bible to go to the family of Mr Geoffrey Lovett, who died aged 90 in 2020.

Born in Nelson, Mr Lovett rose to become head of music at St Theodore's RC Boys School in Burnley where he taught for many years from the early 1950s.

Mr Lovett was highly thought of by former pupils and musicians, for his great skill as a pianist and operatic conductor, as well as his teaching ability.

Emily said: “Geoffrey was my dear partner for the last four and a half years of his life. He had married at 53 a Nelson girl and had no children. After he died, his stepson was glad of my help sorting out a huge collection of photos, documents and letters, there was also a small Bible with many details about his family.

"I would dearly love to give this to a family member who has children and is interested in the family history.

"The Bible is inscribed to Annie Emmott, December 1899 on her wedding day, from her Sunday School teacher, Mr J. Edmondson. I have the family trees, and found that Annie married Harry Lovett.

"They produced Albert who married Elizabeth Jackson and Geoffrey was their son. Elizabeth was also a local singer. Cousins could be Bannisters, Lowcocks, Stuttards, Lovetts and Jacksons.”

A former pupil of Nelson Grammar School, Mr Lovett was also a fine singer, as was his mother Elizabeth, and was fondly remembered by former pupils for putting on shows and musicals at St Theodore's.

Geoffrey grew up in Pendle and came to be associated with the Pendle Operatic Society as a conductor whilst teaching at St Theodore's.

Emily added: “Martin, Geoffrey's stepson, and I are coming to the area the week of July 11th to scatter his ashes, but the Bible is only the size of a paperback novel and I could post it to anyone interested.”

If anyone thinks the may be related to Geoffrey they can email Emily on [email protected]